Category: Thrifty Bloggers

personal blog

With over 4.4 million mommy blogs on the blogosphere, the mom blog industry has never been livelier!

This, though, packs both good and bad news for aspiring mommy bloggers. Good because such a high number means mommies around the country and beyond are running blogs, there is no reason you shouldn’t. Bad because 4.4 million blogs means fierce competition. Creating a standout personal blog with a loyal readership won’t be a joke.

But that’s why we are here. To make seemingly tall mountains easier to climb.

In this article, we’re giving you 5 tips that’ll guarantee your blog hits success. Keep reading!

1. What Kind of Mom Are You?

On the web, authenticity is a valuable currency. People want to read authentic stories, see authentic photos, view authentic videos…authentic everything.

As an aspiring mommy blogger, the kind of mom you’re will define your authenticity. You certainly don’t want to start a blog that looks and feels like a million other blogs, do you?

Are you a helicopter mom? Competitive mom? Wine mom? Exhausted mom? Perfectionist mom? If you haven’t figured your mommy style, it’s time to go on a journey of discovery.

After identifying who you’re as a mom, that’s your blogging niche!

2. Don’t DIY Your Blog

The DIY movement is on fire right now, and there is no doubt mommies around the world have played a big role in making DIY a thing.

However, it’s one thing to DIY a baby toys or fix a broken sink, and it’s quite another to DIY a blog. You see, if you get a baby toy wrong, you have endless chances to make it right. But if you start off your blog with a hideous theme and design, you will lose some readers for good, or it will take so much effort to pull them back with a fresh redesign.

Yes, it’s a personal blog, but don’t try to work the technical details if you have no web design and development expertise. Hire a pro to do the job. This will give you the best chance of launching your blog with a bang!

3. Your Bio Speaks Volumes About You

When a new reader lands on a mommy blog, one of the first they want to find out is more info about the author of the blog. Is she married or single? How many kids does she have? Is she a work at home mommy?

Readers want to connect with you. They want to know whether you share any similarities as moms.

Make it easy for them by crafting a detailed bio or about me page. Besides the obvious details, state what you enjoy doing. If you’re a lover of wine and books, say it! If you can’t stand veganism, shout it!

You don’t want people going to review sites like Side By Side Reviews to try and find out more about you and your blog.

4. Go Social

Is there anyone who isn’t on social media these days?

Social media and blogging go hand in hand. As your developer works on your personal blog, you should be creating profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and on any other social platform that appeals to your target audience.

Focus on growing a social following. Share posts regularly and engage with your followers.

Mommies Can Start Successful Personal Blogs

We’re not going to lie: Setting up a personal blog is easy. Grow it into a top blog in the mommy niche is the real task. A task that requires consistency, patience, resilience, creativity and continuous learning.

Thankfully, we’ve fleshed out the best tips you can use to give your blog the best chances of being successful.

Need more tips? Explore out thrifty bloggers section.

Did you know there are 38 million businesses that are based out of the home in the U.S.?

Yup, in the U.S. alone there are 38 million home-businesses which generate $472 billion in annual revenue. Of those 38 million, 20% of those businesses earn $100,000-$500,000 each year.

What we’re trying to get at is there are tons of people running businesses out of their homes and earning comfortable livings doing so.

Women overwhelmingly start home businesses (72%) for many reasons. They can spend more time with their kids, they like the flexibility, or they want to escape corporate life.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a business at home, check out our list of home business ideas for women.

Start an Etsy Shop

Do you have a knack for calligraphy? Jewelry making? Leatherwork?

Starting an Etsy shop is one of the most popular home business ideas for women. You can do what you love every day and see the joy your crafts bring to your customers.

You can also sell your crafts at farmers markets. This also gives your online shop more exposure.

Be an Online Broker-Dealer

If you’re coming out of corporate financial services, being an online broker-dealer is a lucrative position. Many professionals leaving corporate finance will set up shop at home and collect clients from past dealings.

There are a number of online exchanges where you can purchase investment vehicles for your clients. For example, TripleNet Gateway specializes in NNN property leasing investments and allows broker-dealers to purchase and sell on their exchange.

Explore Blogging

Starting a blog is one of the most attractive home business ideas for women. Blogging can be a highly lucrative business for those who carefully cultivate their online community and boost their web traffic.

There are no restrictions on what you can blog about. You can blog about one of your passions, provide expertise from your professional field, or start direct selling.

Through your blog, you can also sell products and services. For example, you could career coach or write a cookbook and sell it.

Found a Virtual Assistant Service

Virtual assistants are in high demand for all types of businesses. For the most part, businesses or individuals who need VAs are finding them through websites where VAs can post their experience.

This means there is still a gap for VA services that recruit, interview, and train VA specifically for each client. Starting a VA business is highly lucrative, especially if you already have a list of people who would benefit from having a VA.

Offer Coaching

If you like helping people achieve their goals, online coaching might be for you. With so many ways to communicate over the internet, there’s hardly a limit to who your clients can be.

The type of coaching you go into will mostly rely on your background. Popular types of coaching include career, business, fitness, life, financial, and direct-sales coaching. The list goes on.

There’s No Limit to Home Business Ideas for Women

Your mind is the limit when it comes to starting a business at home. You can do practically anything as long as you can figure out how to monetize it.

You can find tons of resources for home business ideas for women online. There are even Facebook and LinkedIn groups where women can encourage each other on their home business journey.

Once you decide on your home business, you’ll need a home office. Learn more about setting up a home office here.

You started your blog because you’re passionate about what you do—whether it’s being a mom, an accountant, a gardener or a social media marketing whiz.

But let’s face it. You also want to get more blog traffic. You want to develop a following. And maybe you’d even like to make some money on the side through affiliate partners.

You want to find like-minded people who like what you have to say. You know they’re out there. How do you get them to your website?

Fortunately, there are some great ways to get more blog traffic on a budget. Let’s explore how.

1) Get a Real Domain Name

When you started your blog, you may have just been testing the waters. But now you’re ready to give it a go for real.

If you’ve still got Wix, Weebly or BlogSpot on your domain name, it’s time for an upgrade. If you’re serious about becoming a professional blogger, you need a real domain name.

Your website name is a major part of your personal brand. If you’re hanging on to a free domain name to save money, you’re costing yourself more.

People won’t take you or your website seriously.

Even if it’s not true, it looks like you’re just one of the many weekend bloggers who half-heartedly throws a blog together. If it looks like you don’t care, they won’t care either.

You could get more blog traffic just by showing that you’re committed to your fans, your blog, and your topics.

Choose a platform that’s fast and mobile-friendly. Get your blog set up. And then find a domain name that exemplifies what you do.

2) Welcome Visitors with a Great Experience

A great visitor experience will help you get more blog traffic because people will come back and share with friends.

As a bonus, providing the right experience helps improve your visibility in searches. When your site is optimized for people, you’re on your way to being optimized for search engines as well.

Site Speed

Do everything you can to make your blog as fast as possible. Nearly1/2 of people expect your blog to load in 2 seconds. After 3 seconds, most people will go somewhere else. If it takes over 5 seconds, you won’t get much traffic at all.

Free speed testers like WebPageTest.org will help you understand if you’re on the right track. Google also has a speed test but it’s not compatible with Ajax-based sites like Wix.

If your site is slow, you can do some things by yourself to speed it up.

1. Reduce the sizes of your images.
2. Don’t overdo videos
3. Don’t overdo embedding
4. Check your site each time you add something new

If you want to learn to do more, take free coding classes at W3Schools or pay to get a class certificate.

But check with your web host first. Some sites that run on templates give you limited access to the code.

Navigation

You might be amazed by the clever navigation options made available to you. But to provide the right experience, keep navigation simple and intuitive. If your visitors have trouble knowing what to click when they visit, they won’t come back.

And they won’t tell their friends.

That’s less traffic for you.

Use vibrant images and great writing to wow your visitors. But keep navigation simple.

Mobile-Friendly

Test the mobile-friendliness of your site. Over 1/2 of traffic is on mobile devices. Your blog should look amazing on it.

Some quick tips for mobile-friendliness include:

1. Making sure your web host adjusts the page for mobile (or you do)
2. Using large, easy-to-read fonts
3. Keeping paragraphs short
4. Eliminating distracting elements on mobile
5. Checking how your site appears on mobile

3) Think Outside the Blog

You can’t get more traffic because people can’t find you.But as long as people can’t find you, you remain hidden at the bottom of the barrel on search engines like Google.

A vicious cycle plagues your site.

Reach out to other bloggers with similar blogs. Be on the lookout for opportunities to guest post on the other site. Agree to write them an amazing post in exchange for a link, bio, and pic.

Many sites these days use Gravatar. You can upload your pic and information. Then when you guest post, your Gravatar follows you from site to site.

What you’re doing is leveraging someone else’s traffic to gain a following. Through this, you can earn your own traffic and build a stronger personal brand.

Ever heard of the Oprah-Effect? It’s like that but on a smaller scale.

4) Get Social on Social

Get more blog traffic by sharing with others on social media.

You’re probably already active on social media. But social media for a blog can be very different.

You may want to start a dedicated account for the blog or use your own. Share inspirations and other blogger’s posts. In addition, entice people back to your website to check out your latest blogs.

Show that you’re part of a community in your niche. And through it, build a following of people who will visit and love your website.

Use free automation tools like HootSuite to schedule posts for maximum impact. They also have great tools to help you curate posts to share on your account.

Be personal and approachable in your posts—not overly promotional—to earn a following.

5) Be Consistent & Stick with It

It can take a little time to build up your blog. For a while, the people may come in at a trickle. It can be discouraging.

But fake it ’til you make it. As you continue to drive more people to your site, your visibility in search engines and on social media will rise.

You’ll be able to do less promotion and more working on your blog. You can even monetize your blog with affiliate ads if you want. But don’t overdo it and lose your loyal fans.

Set a schedule for your posts. Your goal should be 1-4 amazing articles a week. Some of the most successful bloggers post 15-20 pieces of content a month.

But never sacrifice quality for quantity.That could hurt your blogger brand. Keep fresh ideas flowing in by spending time on other blogs, social and forum sites to see what people are talking about.

Start a topic log where you jot topics every time one comes to mind. This way, you never run out of ideas when it’s time to write.

If you have trouble keeping up, hire a content writer to help manage your blog. If you’re monetizing your traffic with affiliate marketing, they’ll easily pay for themselves.

Get More Blog Traffic Now

With these tips and consistent effort, you can quickly begin to get more blog traffic. Get serious with a real domain name. Be active on social. And create the right “customer experience”.

When you do, people will want to come back and tell their friends.

For more thrifty momma tips on everything from DIY to running a business, check out our blog.

Running a home improvement blog is really hot right now. People are turning to DIY and home improving today. However, trends are changing really fast and decorating is turning into an expensive hobby. So, these people need resources. They need experts to guide them.

Whether it is a home improvement post or a DIY tutorial for a cool coffee table, your readers will just love it. Really, anything can work, and we are here to help you with your inspiration.

Here are five home improvement blog ideas you need to read now to express yourself or even make some extra money online:

1. Furniture Hacking – DIY Blog

When IKEA, among other inexpensive brands, became a worldwide phenomenon, people were not happy with the idea that everybody owned the stuff they had given money to get.

As a result, they started enhancing their furniture using a bunch of different materials.

Blogs about hacking your furniture turned into a huge sensation, so why not make one yourself? Just make sure that you have original ideas and get your creative juices flowing.

There is a lot of competition out there! IKEA hackers is a great example.

2. Remodeling Blog

Vintage has always been in fashion. So it comes as no surprise there is still a huge demand for blogs about taking old furniture to the next level. A blog about remodeling is always relevant!

However, just keep in mind that you need to find really great, old stuff and monitor their transformation through photos or video including a step by step guide.

You don’t just have to inspire your audience but also guide it. Do not get confused, though. There is a difference between hacking and remodeling. Hacking has to do mostly with new furniture. Remodeling is mainly about vintage items.

Also, remodeling is not just about vintage furniture. Even an article about a drywall access panel replacement could be considered as a “remodeling blog post.” Just be creative!

3. Home-Tour Blog

Who doesn’t love a peek into someone’s personal space? Let’s be completely honest. Everybody loves a secret look into an inspiring place that will help them get a couple of ideas about their new apartment.

Get yourself a good photo camera, take great shots of apartments that might offer some great inspiration and create your blog.

If you want to, you can always narrow the topic and make it more niche-y. Just tour your audience around living rooms or bedrooms instead of full homes.

4. Tiny Homes Blog

“Tiny Homes” is a huge niche these days. And we mean HUGE. People, nowadays, tend to move to smaller places either to save money or just because they realize how little they actually need to feel happy with their surroundings.

Just feature some beautiful tiny places and give advice to people who want to live in one too.

Special Tip: Japan and China are two great places to look for inspiring tiny homes.

5. Or a General Home Improvement Blog

Okay, you can always follow the experts’ path and go for a blog that includes all the different areas this topic can cover. You can write tutorials, showcase home-tours, mention all the latest trends. You can do anything that you want to do, really!

But you have to be careful. If you make your blog too general and make people believe you are the number one resource, you have to meet the standards you set for yourself. And these standards need both tons of work and quality content.

The good news is that ThriftyMomma can make life much easier for you. Sign-up for free and prepare for some serious blogging tips.

If you’re a stay at home mom, you already have a full-time job.

So if you are looking to earn a little extra money, you need a job that offers the ability to work at home and on your own schedule.

Luckily, the Internet makes it easy for busy moms to make a small additional income without investing a ton of time. Some of these jobs/gigs require special skills. However, others can be done by anyone with a computer, tablet, or phone.

If you’re ready to start making some extra cash, check out these five simple ways for moms to make money from home.

1. Freelance Work

If you’re a great writer, editor, or graphic designer, you can cash in on a massive online market.

Businesses of all types of sizes are increasingly turning to freelancers to get work done. They save money by avoiding paying for benefits or full-time salaries.

You get the chance to use your skills to make big bucks, and you can set your own schedule.

2. Online Surveys

Online surveys are a great way for anyone to make a little extra money.

All you have to do is join an online survey site and start taking surveys. Opinion Outpost is a great site for surveys. They pay in Amazon gift cards starting in the amount of $5.00.

The surveys take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. You could start earning gift cards after taking as few as five surveys.

3. Blogging

Moms and dads from around the world love to read blogs like proudmummy.com. They enjoy learning about the trials and triumphs that other moms and dads experience. They benefit from the tips and tricks that other parents have to offer.

If you enjoy reading parenting blogs, why not start your own? If done correctly, this can also be a great way to earn some extra money.

If you want to start a blog, you should learn from those who already have successful blogs. Learn what your first posts should be like and how to add advertisements.

You need to know how to create a consistent, polished blog that other parents will want to read.

4. Etsy Sales

If you love to take photos, knit, or create other handmade items, then becoming a seller on Etsy might be the perfect way to make some extra money.

With so much competition on the site, selling on Etsy can be tough.

However, if you can create a unique product, offer it at a reasonable price, and spread the word about your items on social media, you’ll be making money in no time!

5. Product Testing

Many companies outsource product testing of all sorts of products. You can cash in on this. All you have to do is sign up with a product testing website, like Product Testing USA.

While becoming a product tester won’t always earn you cash, it can be a great way to get products that you need for free. This will help you to save you money on your next grocery store visit.

Make Money As A Stay at Home Mom

Making money as a stay at home mom on your own schedule doesn’t have to be tough.

Any of these five options can be a great way to make some extra money. Yes, even when you’re juggling taking care of a house and kids.

Try one out today to see for yourself.